It's Only You and Me Now
by drowning.in.his.eyes
Summary: The Final Battle is over, and Harry and Hermione are the only ones left alive. Together they must deal with the losses and defeat the still-powerful Voldemort. They'll soon realize that even in the midst of suffering it's possible to fall in love.
1. Living Nightmare

There's Only You and Me Now

Chapter One

Living Nightmare

An icy wind howled through the trees of the Forbidden Forest, its haunting song permeating every corner of the woods. The mist of the forest was thick and blue, floating lazily above the ground, until a figure emerged through the fog and scattered it.

The figure walked with a limp, dragging an injured leg behind them and clutching tightly to their left arm. Their breath came in short, ragged gasps as they limped over gnarled tree roots sticking menacingly from the ground.

Soon the mysterious figure staggered into a puddle of moonlight spilling from an opening in the thick canopy of trees above. The light illuminated a strong face with dark eyebrows and a head of tousled black hair. Piercing green eyes glinted in the moonlight and a lightning bolt-shaped scar was visible on their forehead.

Harry Potter swayed dangerously, his chest rising up and down with labored breathing. His right hand clutched a gushing wound on his left arm and the leg he dragged behind him was covered in deep wounds and gashes. He could hardly see, having lost his glasses in the battle, but he trudged on in determination, pushing his limits until his muscles ached and he could go no farther.

With a cry of pain he fell to the ground, the rough tree roots and pine needles scraping his tender injuries. Tears ran down his face as his entire body continued to scream in agony. He had never felt this kind of pain before, where everything hurt and there was no way of release. He lay still, trying desperately to keep his mind off the mind-numbing pain continually spreading throughout his body.

He flinched upon hearing nearby bushes rustling. A low growling sound echoed throughout the forest and Harry jumped up, ignoring the scream of protest from his body. He ran blindly, his mind numb from the pain and his feet taking control. He kept running, his survival instinct keeping him going, despite the horrible aching throbbing intensely in his legs.

Once he judged he was a safe distance away from whatever had growled, he collapsed against a large tree trunk, breathing heavily and sobbing in frustration.

And then he saw her. A figure was walking towards him from a far-off distance, barely visible through the curling tendrils of blue mist omnipresent above the ground. The figure moved closer and closer until their features were clearly visible. Long and knotted brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, with fiery brown eyes gazing down at him. Freckles dusted her grimy face and her robes were in tatters. Hermione bent down slowly, gazing at Harry with glassy eyes.

"Harry? Is it really you?" she whispered softly, the expression on her face revealing she wouldn't even dare to hope.

"H-Hermione," Harry gasped, his vision going in and out of focus. Thick turrets of tears spilled from Hermione's eyes and she collapsed onto the ground, grabbing Harry's hands tightly and sobbing endlessly.

"H-Harry! We-We're the only ones left! E-Everyone's dead! Th-They're all gone! Ginny, Neville, Luna, Hagrid, R-Ron..." Upon saying Ron's name she let out a heart-breaking cry of despair and fell into Harry, her whole body gone limp with grief.

_No... _An icy feeling spread throughout Harry's aching body, numbing every part of him as the news settled in. _No... it can't be true. There has to be someone left._

But Hermione's uncontrollable sobbing told no lies. Immeasurable grief and sorrow consumed Harry's body, the intensity of his emotional pain now matching that of his physical pain.

His hand numbly made its way to rest limply on Hermione's knotted hair. He could feel her body shaking from the sobbing. She clutched his torn shirt, burying her face into his stomach as if she could hide from the painful realities surrounding her. Tears rolled down Harry's cheeks, his face stinging as the salt drops made contact with his open wounds.

"No…" Harry whispered brokenly. He had forgotten all about his injuries. Somehow, they didn't matter at all next to knowing all the ones he cared for were dead.

After a few minutes Hermione's sobs had quieted and she lay still. Harry assumed by her rhythmic breathing that she was asleep, but then she stirred, gazing at him with despairing, swollen eyes.

"Harry… you're hurt," she finally observed, staring at the particularly grotesque wound on his arm.

Her statement was so blatantly obvious Harry felt a sickening urge to laugh out loud.

"Yeah," he murmured instead, shifting his weight and causing the pain to increase tenfold.

Hermione traced her hand lightly over the many cuts and gashes covering him. He grimaced in pain and she stopped.

"Here," she murmured, her voice catching as she ripped a piece of her tattered robes off and made for Harry's arm.

The moment she touched it Harry cried out. Her hand shook and her eyes began to water as she pulled away.

"H-Harry," she began shakily, tilting his chin to look at her and taking a deep, steadying breath, "Look straight into my eyes and don't move," she commanded evenly.

Harry nodded and obeyed, clenching his jaw as she wrapped his arm through her peripheral vision without breaking eye contact. He sucked in a deep breath as she gingerly tied the cloth around the still furiously bleeding wound, holding his gaze the entire time.

"There," she murmured softly, grabbing one of his hands in both of hers and grasping it tightly. "All b-better…" her voice cracked on the last word and she bit her lip to quiet herself. Hermione's body started shaking and more tears spilled out of her eyes. Listening to her cry ripped Harry's heart apart and he gathered her up into his arms, cradling her tenderly against him as her tears soaked through his shirt.

She clung to him loosely, her body seemingly fragile and limp like that of a rag doll's. Harry let her cry, and cried with her, until the moon was obstructed by menacing thunder clouds. Hermione pulled away and stared at the dark sky through glassy eyes.

Rain started pouring through the dense tree canopy, soaking their dingy clothes and loosening the dirt of the forest, causing mud to form.

"Hermione, we should get out of here," Harry mumbled, helping her sit up. She nodded and got up, her knees wobbling slightly. Once she was standing up straight she extended her hand to help Harry up. He grunted and breathed heavily through his nose as pain shot through his legs.

Hermione pursed her lips worriedly and gently placed one of Harry's arms over her shoulder, helping him to walk as the two began their journey out of the forest. The rain was torrential now, hammering down on the ground so hard that every drop that made contact with Harry and Hermione's skin stung.

The two limped through the shadowy forest together, through the icy rain and howling wind. After what seemed like hours, the mist looming ahead of them disappeared, signaling that they had reached the edge of the forest.

The Grounds came into view and Harry swallowed hard as he saw the dark forms scattered all over the ground. Hermione whimpered as they stumbled upon the first corpse. It was Neville, with a swollen purple snake bite on his neck.

Harry bit his lip and tried not to wretch. Hermione covered her mouth and let out a dry sob, stumbling away from Neville's body and continuing across the Grounds. Harry's stomach dropped when he saw Tonks and Lupin lying side by side on the blood-covered grass, still holding hands with each other. He bent down and closed their terror-filled eyes with a heavy heart.

The farther Harry and Hermione got across the Grounds the sicker they became. Upon stumbling across the gory corpse of Colin Creevey, Harry let go of Hermione and fell to the ground where he wretched emptily, coughing up acid until his throat burned.

When he was done he turned around to see Hermione kneeling beside a dark shape on the ground. He walked up behind her and his heart caught in his throat upon seeing Ron's pale face staring back at him. Hermione cried softly, gently stroking Ron's cold face and playing with his long red hair.

"He died saving me," she whispered quietly. "A Death Eater… sent a curse my way… and he jumped in front of me. And now he's… he's…" She couldn't continue and instead pursed her trembling lip, grabbing Ron's dead hand and holding it tightly to her chest.

Harry knelt beside her and closed Ron's blank eyes, his hands lingering for a moment above his best mate's ashen face.

"R-Ron," he choked, salty tears streaming endlessly down his face. Hermione collapsed against Ron's body and continued crying.

After a few minutes had come and gone, Harry gently pulled her up from Ron's corpse. She fell against him and they continued their trudge across the graveyard. They passed countless cadavers, pausing only to close the blank eyes of their beloved friends and classmates.

Harry purposely avoided the large heap that he knew to be Hagrid's body, because he knew he wouldn't be able to handle seeing their large loveable friend staring back at him with such blank, dead eyes.

They were almost to the castle when Harry saw a heap of red hair glinting in the moonlight. His heart started thumping wildly and he ran to Ginny's side, his chest heaving as he pulled her cold body close to him and buried his face into her soft red hair.

"Ginny, Ginny, Ginny," he whispered, rocking her back and forth. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you. P-Please forgive me," he choked, kissing her icy forehead with a trembling mouth. Hermione laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and Harry turned around to look at her. He gently placed Ginny back onto the ground and stood, walking beside Hermione to the castle. They both jumped when a groan sounded from nearby.

Hermione ran to a figure stirring near the castle doors. Harry followed and caught a glimpse of long blonde hair. It was Luna, rolling around on the ground and coughing up blood.

"Luna, you're alive!" Hermione pressed a steady hand against Luna's back as she wretched and coughed. "Luna, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, hysterical worry giving her voice a frightening edge.

Luna raised her porcelain face to look at Harry and Hermione. A large streak of blood glittered from her mouth to her chin and her bleeding scalp made Harry think someone had tried to tear her hair out.

"Is anyone else alive?" she asked in a hoarse voice, her dreamy eyes swimming with pain.

Hermione's eyes turned glassy and she shook her head slowly. "No. There's no one left but us."

Luna looked down and let a few tears splatter onto the ground, each one glinting as it caught the moonlight.

"It was so horrible. They were everywhere. I didn't know that many Death Eaters even existed. They weren't even bothering torturing anyone. They... they only killed! I watched everyone... fall. No one... got back up. No one," she whispered emptily, clutching her stomach and coughing up a large amount of blood onto the grass.

"Luna! Luna!" Harry yelled urgently, grabbing her shoulders as she went into a horrible coughing fit. "Luna, what's wrong? Where are you hurt?" he asked desperately.

"I'm hurt... everywhere. There were ten of them... They kicked me and pulled my hair. Then one of them held up a slaughtered unicorn head right in my face and I fought back. One kicked me in the stomach... and kicked me in the face. They kept kicking me until they thought I was dead. Then they went to kill everyone else. I... I couldn't move. I... I couldn't save anyone," she sobbed, grabbing Harry's 

forearms and gripping them tightly until they turned white. "I COULDN'T SAVE ANYONE!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face.

Her yell brought on another coughing fit and more blood gushed from her mouth. "Luna! LUNA!" Harry screamed, shaking her gently. She lifted her head with much effort and smiled at him, the blood still dripping from her mouth down to her chin.

"I'm so glad you two are alive. Take care of each other," she whispered hoarsely. Her eyes began to close and Hermione leaned in closer.

"Luna! Luna, no! Stay with us!" she shouted desperately, her eyes full of panic. Luna looked up at her and with the tiniest shake of her head told Hermione she couldn't stay much longer.

"Luna. You fought a good fight. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend," Harry told his friend through his tears, hugging her tightly to him. Hermione sobbed and also hugged Luna closely.

"Thank you Harry. Hermione. You both mean the world to me," she whispered as Harry pulled away, keeping his grip on her shoulders and gazing through tear-soaked eyes at her.

"You can win against him, Harry. I know you can," was the last thing Luna said before her head lolled and her eyes closed. She was gone.

Harry laid Luna down gently on the ground, wiping the blood from her chin. Hermione got up and fell to the ground nearby, her hands over her head while she sobbed endlessly, her tears soaking into the grass.

_This can't be happening. Everyone can't be gone._

_This has to be a horrible nightmare. I'll wake up any second._

But Harry knew it was real.

Both Harry and Hermione knew full well that life as they knew it would never be the same again.

_A/N Author's Note: Man that was the first time I've ever gotten teary from something _I _had written! I really didn't want Luna to die, but sometimes you have to listen to your head rather than your heart, given that Luna _is _one of my favorite characters. The whole point I want to make with this story is that even through pain and suffering beautiful things can happen. I know all of you Luna-lovers are upset, but please give my story a chance! We can all cry together!_


	2. The Darkness of Death

Hermione woke up to sunlight streaming through a broken window pane. She looked around in confusion, momentarily forgetting where she was and what she was doing there. Then it all came back to her in an unforgiving wave of despair.

She looked down at the hospital cot she was laying in and breathed in heavily, gripping the thin cotton sheets tightly beneath her. The details of last night flooded her brain in a rush.

Hermione remembered picking her way carefully through the hallways of Hogwarts with Harry, stepping over countless dead bodies littering the stone ground. She remembered fleeing to the bathroom and wretching until she thought she would faint. Then she remembered making her way up to the hospital wing, bandaging up Harry's wounds and falling into a heavy sleep.

She turned to look at Harry sleeping peacefully on the cot opposite her. His chest rose steadily up and down and he rolled onto his side, mumbling something incoherent in his sleep. She didn't have the heart to wake him from his peaceful slumber, so instead she climbed out of bed and went to replace the bandage on Harry's arm.

As she gingerly unwrapped the gauze from his arm, she murmured a healing spell to prevent infections and put new bandages on. Harry stirred and opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to try to clear his blurry vision. Hermione muttered a spell and a copy of Harry's glasses appeared. She handed them to him and smiled grimly.

"I should have thought of this yesterday so you could see," Hermione murmured sheepishly. Harry smiled gratefully and put the glasses on, squinting to get used to clear vision again.

Hermione sat down on the cot opposite Harry, looking down at her hands and trying to keep her mind off of the many horrors that lay strewn just outside.

"Hermione…" Harry began softly, dragging his gaze up to look at her. She lifted her head and raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Yes?" she asked, already anticipating what he was going to say.

"Hermione… we should… um… we should bury them," Harry murmured.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she looked into Harry's bright green eyes. She could see the same despair she knew was in her eyes reflected in his. The same fear, the same suffering. He understood exactly what she was feeling. And she understood, the same as him, that they had to go and bury their friends. They owed that to them. Their friends, classmates, teachers and even enemies deserved a proper burial at the very least.

"All right," Hermione whispered, getting up from the cot and extending her hand to Harry. He grabbed it tightly and hoisted himself to his feet. Hermione wrapped her arm 

around his waist while he put his arm on her shoulder, and together the two limped out into the hallway.

Already the work that needed to be done reared its ugly head the moment they stepped out the door. There were already five bodies at the bottom of the staircase. Both took a deep breath and descended the stairs.

Hermione didn't recognize any of them besides Ernie Macmillan. Harry and Hermione closed all of their eyes and then each took a body, dragging them into the Great Hall and lining them up.

The two split up and took command of different sides of the castle. It was mind-numbingly strenuous and emotionally-challenging work, but the two continued tirelessly, determined to honor their friends' memories.

It took hours but finally the entire castle interior was cleared of bodies. Hermione stalled going outside by using her wand to clean the blood stains off the walls while Harry busied himself by cleaning up the broken glass and pieces of the stone walls. But once the castle was in its previous pristine condition, both knew that they had to go outside.

Hermione and Harry stood before the large castle door, staring up at the menacing wooden surface. "You ready?" Harry asked, turning to look at her.

Hermione nodded, emotionally drained but still equipped with a fresh supply of tears. They opened the door and stepped outside together.

In the darkness the number of bodies had seemed much smaller. Now, with the sunlight streaming upon the ground, they saw just how many bodies were strewn across the ground. It was hard to believe Luna was the only one who had still been alive last night, but Hermione had assured Harry over and over that she had checked every single body before she had wandered into the forest. They were all dead.

Harry rolled up his sleeves and started dragging the bodies inside to the Great Hall, which was now rapidly filling up. Hermione did the same, trying desperately to hold back her tears and the bile rising in her throat. Most of them had died from curses, so those bodies weren't particularly gory. But some, like Colin and Luna, were covered in injuries from cruel brutality inflicted upon them by the unforgiving Death Eaters.

The sun streamed down on them with its harsh and unforgiving light, causing both to sweat and pant as they continued their straining labor. Soon the only body left to move was Hagrid's.

Harry and Hermione stumbled towards the large body, each grabbing one beefy arm and pulling with all their strength. They struggled all the way to the Great Hall, where they laid Hagrid in his own corner.

Both hurried out of the Hall and collapsed on the main stairwell, tears streaming down their faces.

"This is so hard," Hermione murmured, resting her head in her hand. Her tears dripped onto her hands and she wiped them onto her jeans.

"It's hard… but it's the right thing to do," Harry reasoned, clasping his hands together.

Once Harry had finished speaking Hermione lost control. Tears poured endlessly from her cheeks, and she drew in breath in sharp, ragged gasps as the sobs overwhelmed her and wracked her body. Harry was at her side in an instant, his green eyes filling with concern and surprise.

"Hermione, what's wrong? Was it something I said?" he asked desperately, grabbing her hands in his and staring into her glassy eyes.

"N-No, H-Harry, it's n-not your f-fault," she sobbed, turning away from him to look at the ground.

"Then what is it?" Harry asked softly, loosening his tight grip on her hands and instead grabbing just the tips of her fingers. She smiled appreciatively at his sweet gesture. "Please tell me," he requested quietly, slowly breaking her down with his concerned emerald-eyed stare.

The tears continued to pour down Hermione's cheeks and she sighed, smiling at him through her tears.

"Ron said that. A little while before he was killed. I was having difficulties using the killing curse, and he said 'It's hard, Hermione, I know. But it's the right thing to do.' And then he took my hand and..." she stopped and bit her trembling lip. Harry's chest began to ache and a lump formed in his throat. "And then... he was gone," she whispered brokenly.

The two were silent for a moment, looking separate ways and losing themselves in memories.

"Hermione..." Harry began after a few moments of silence, "How... How did Ginny die? I mean... do you know who killed her?" Hermione's face crumpled in despair and she grabbed Harry's hands in her own, kneeling in front of him.

"Harry... I didn't see what happened to Ginny. But when Ron saw her on the ground, he tried to run to her, but there were too many curses flying in front of him. I'm so sorry. I don't know who killed her."

Harry nodded emptily, staring intensely at the ground. He lifted his head to meet her gaze, his lips forming a tight line. "Hermione. Don't lie to me. Tell me what happened," he demanded. Hermione bit her lips, knowing she was caught.

"She... she was running across the lawn, yelling for you after you disappeared. And then a curse hit her in the back and she fell. I didn't see who killed her," Hermione murmured, her voice thick with emotion. Harry shook his head, looking down at his hands.

"Damn it," he murmured, sitting up roughly and punching the wall nearby. He leaned his forearms against the wall and sobbed emptily. Hermione ran to him and pulled him into her arms, stroking his hair as he cried quietly. He was so much taller than her it was difficult for her to hug him properly, so when she pulled away she stumbled a bit. Harry caught her by the elbow and they looked at each other for just a few moments.

Harry took in Hermione's appearance. Her clothes were bloodstained, her face was smeared with dirt and blood and her hair was knotted. But the determination and courage blazing in her eyes made her look incredibly beautiful in Harry's eyes.

Hermione took a good long look at Harry. His clothes were ripped and grimy, his face was smeared with mud, and his black hair was even messier than usual. But she began to notice the little differences between the Harry she had known earlier in the years and the one that stood before her now. His jaw was incredibly broad and he always had it set in something like grim determination. His endless green eyes displayed every single emotion he was feeling and he somehow looked noble standing there in front of her. He had tried to save everyone, he really had. She knew he had run off into the woods to offer himself up to Voldemort. What she didn't know was how he had gotten away, but she didn't want to bring it up.

"Hermione..." Harry began out of the blue.

"Yes?" she asked somewhat shakily.

"I need to tell you something."


	3. An Undeniable Truth

(What They Always Knew, But Never Said Aloud)

Chapter 3

An Undeniable Truth

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked, taking a step closer to him. He seemed frozen stiff, his hands gripping tightly into fists, causing his knuckles to turn white. He sat down on the steps robotically, his eyes glazing over from what looked to be a painful memory.

"Hermione... I... I'm not ready to tell you how I got away. I will be someday, but not... not now. You deserve to know, but I'm not ready to relive it just yet. Right now, I just want to forget it never happened."

Hermione dropped to her knees, trying to catch Harry's gaze as she put her hands gently on his knees. "Harry, that's okay. I don't want you to tell me unless you're ready to. I would never ask you for anything that would put you through any more pain than you've already suffered," her voice cracked and she looked down at the ground, willing the tears filling her eyes away.

Harry tipped up her chin with his hand and looked directly at her. "I know you wouldn't ask for that, Hermione. You've always been the best friend I could ever ask for." Hermione smiled gratefully at his compliment, touching his arm softly.

"Was that all that you needed to tell me, Harry?" she pressed gently, running her hand up and down his arm absent-mindedly as she waited for his answer. Harry took a deep breath and sighed.

"No, it wasn't. I... um..." He stood up suddenly, stepping carefully to the side of her and walking a few paces ahead, staring at a wall. He slipped his hands into his pockets and slouched his shoulders self-consciously as Hermione waited patiently for him to continue.

"Hermione..." he whispered. She got up quickly, taking hesitant steps towards him, his back still to her. "Your face..." he continued softly, "...was the one thing I couldn't get out of my mind when I was walking to give myself up. It... wasn't Ginny's face. It was yours." He said it thoughtfully, as if trying to make sense of the reasons behind the facts.

Hermione froze behind him, her hand reached out halfway to touch his shoulder. Her hand dropped limply to her side and her mouth formed a stiff line. She couldn't speak.

Harry didn't turn back to look at her. He simply started walking down the nearest hallway, his head down as if deep in thought. He disappeared around a corner and Hermione came back to life, blinking rapidly.

Harry was and always had been her very best friend. But there had always been something... different about such a close friendship. She herself had never acknowledged it. She had simply brushed it off, knowing that it would most likely fade after time. She had never once in her life considered talking to Harry about it. Not once.

But now, even through the fog of grief and confusion, suddenly everything was crystal clear. There had always been something more. She had seen it in Ron's eyes, and even in Ginny's eyes. She had seen them both acknowledge those accidental glances and soft embraces, all kinds of emotions swimming just beneath the surface. Fear had been the dominant emotion. Fear of losing the one they cared so deeply for. Fear of rejection. Fear of betrayal. But there had also been hope shining in their eyes. Hope that they would be the ones we chose in the end. Hope that whatever bond had formed between us would eventually fade over time. Hope that it was just their imagination, nothing more.

Hermione felt a small prick of shame that she hadn't noticed this before. How had she been so oblivious? Had Harry noticed while she stood at the sidelines, completely unaware?

What he had just told her had shocked her to her very core. The girl was always supposed to fall for the hero. It was so utterly cliché, so unoriginal. Hermione had always been original, a one-of-a-kind bossy, know-it-all that had always tried so hard to do her best.

Was she that girl that fell hopelessly in love with the hero? She stopped for a moment, finally settling on an appropriate answer: If she was, it was because Harry wasn't like those other heroes in Muggle stories.

He saved people selflessly. He never did it for himself. He had walked boldly into the forest to sacrifice himself to Voldemort to save everyone. He had fought the utter terror and fear and had taken the plunge, refusing to turn around just because he was scared. He was the last person he thought of when there was danger. He always put himself last. Some people may call that a weakness, but they would be wrong. It was an incredible strength.

That alone was what set him apart from all those other heroes that always got the girl in the end. Sure, they were probably very good people, but they weren't Harry. They weren't the girl's very best friend, who had been there for her through thick and thin.

Hermione's mind was reeling as she took all of this into consideration. Even if she did feel that way about Harry, she couldn't possibly act on it now. Harry deserved a girl who could give him her whole heart. Hermione couldn't give Harry that, no matter how much she may want to; because no matter where he was, Ron would always hold a piece of her heart. She had given her heart away a long time ago, and she had never gotten all of it back. She would most likely never be whole again, not without Ron. He had been a bloody idiot at times, but he was still one of the sweetest, most genuine guys she had ever met.

Hermione collapsed onto the stairs, burying her face in her hands. She knew that was true of Harry also. Ginny still had a piece of Harry's heart; a piece he could never get back. How could two people love each other with such large pieces missing from their hearts? The pain of the loss itself was almost too much to bear; adding love to the equation would be much too difficult to deal with. If Hermione ever fell in love again, it would be a tainted sort of love. There would always be too much grief and suffering clouding it. It could never be a pure kind of love.

That thought deeply saddened Hermione. There was a chance that she could move on and heal, but she highly doubted that would happen. The tragedy was much too large in numbers; it would take many years to even begin to heal her crumbling heart.

Suddenly, the grief struck her again like a huge weight pressing down on her shoulders. She collapsed into a fit of hysterics, sobbing so loudly that her whole body hurt. She wished, against any logical reason that she had just convinced herself of, with all of her heart that Harry was here to hold her.

And then he was there. He was at her side in an instant, cradling her to his warm body as she cried. He kissed the top of her head, rocking her slowly as the grief consumed her. His hands were everywhere, traveling up and down her back, stroking her neck and petting her hair in a desperate attempt to console her. "Oh, Hermione," he whispered, his voice strained. She wrapped her weak arms around his, holding him close and refusing to let go. He in turn did the same, weaving his arms around her waist and holding her gently.

She was scared. She was scared of what this meant. If someone had walked in on them right now, it would look just like it was supposed to look: A girl was all torn-up, and a boy was consoling her, just like friends would do. But it was what she felt that scared her. She didn't want him to let go. She didn't want him to leave her for even a second. She needed him desperately. He was the only one that could possibly help her live through the tremendous weight of her grief and despair.

And, unbeknownst to her, Harry felt the same. This girl that he was holding so tenderly in his arms was the only one he could ever need. She was the only one that could possibly help him through this horrid time of hopelessness.

And that wasn't because they were the only ones left. It was because deep down, they both knew the truth. They both knew that their bond was strengthening even more, and they both knew that what it came down to was that they were falling fast and hard all over again.

But this time they weren't falling fast and hard into a swirling abyss of despair. This time, they were falling fast and hard for each other.

**A/N Author's Note: Hey readers! Sorry for the horribly long wait on Chapter 3, but here it is! It's mostly a filler, I know, but Hermione and Harry's dilemma needed to be brought into even sharper focus by taking a dive into their separate psyches.**

**Please review with your thoughts!**


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